Changes in EU visa rules should include stronger provisions on humanitarian visas

The current review of the EU Visa Code is an occasion to include strengthened provisions on humanitarian visas, says Civil Liberties Committee rapporteur, Juan Fernando López Aguilar (S&D, ES), ahead of the presentation of his draft report on the EU rulebook on visas on Monday, 14 September, from 16.15 to 17.30. The issuing of a visa to a person seeking international protection constitutes a means of allowing him/her to access the territory of the EU member states in a safe and legal manner.

"Amidst the human tragedies Europe is facing at its borders and the unacceptable death toll in the Mediterranean, we as lawmakers bear the responsibility to provide for a safe access to our territory for people in need of international protection", says the Civil Liberties Committee rapporteur on the review of the EU Visa Code, Juan Fernando López Aguilar (S&D, ES).

"Amongst other solutions, the issuing of a visa is one way to do so. I have therefore included in my draft report strengthened provisions on humanitarian visas and I strongly welcome that the Parliament in its resolution of 10 September 2015 on migration and refugees in Europe already considered that it is necessary to amend the Visa Code by including more specific common provisions on humanitarian visas. I now call on the Commission and the Council to support these ideas as well. It is now simply time to act", he adds.

The European Parliament and the EU Council of Ministers legislate on the Visa Code on an equal footing, under the co-decision procedure.

The presentation of the draft report and the debate in Parliament's Civil Liberties Committee will be webstreaming on EP Live

Background

The proposal for the recast of the EU Visa Code, presented by the European Commission on 1 April 2014, aims to make visa procedures less cumbersome. "We need to recognise the importance for the EU as a whole to facilitate legitimate travel towards it", says López Aguilar, welcoming the Commission's approach.

The Visa Code sets out the procedures and conditions for the issuing of visas for the Schengen area. Since it entered into force on 5 April 2010, it has contributed to facilitate legitimate travel and tackle irregular migration by improving consular organisation and cooperation, strengthening procedural guarantees, and reinforcing equal treatment of visa applicants through harmonised application of the rules. The implementation of all the provisions is however not always optimal and more needs to be done to address more effectively the challenges faced by visa applicants and EU member states' consulates.